Montana class battleship 40396 223579017 2008-07-04T18:32:28Z Bellhalla 160900 restore parameter name {|{{Infobox Ship Begin}} {{Infobox Ship Image |Ship image=[[Image:Montana Class.png|300px|A model depicting what the Montana class would have looked like had they been completed]] |Ship caption=A 1944 model of a ''Montana''-class battleship }} {{Infobox Ship Class Overview |Name=''Montana'' class battleship |Builders=[[New York Navy Yard]] <br> [[Philadelphia Navy Yard]] <br> [[Norfolk Navy Yard]] |Operators={{navy|USA}} |Class before=[[Iowa class battleship|''Iowa'' class battleship]] |Class after=N/A, last battleship class authorized |Subclasses= |Cost= |Built range= |In service range= |In commission range= |Total ships building= |Total ships planned=5 |Total ships completed=0 |Total ships cancelled={{USS|Montana|BB-67|2}} <br>{{USS|Ohio|BB-68|2}} <br>{{USS|Maine|BB-69|2}} <br>{{USS|New Hampshire|BB-70|2}} <br>{{USS|Louisiana|BB-71|2}} |Total ships active= |Total ships laid up= |Total ships lost= |Total ships retired= |Total ships preserved= }} {{Infobox Ship Characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= |Ship type= |Ship tonnage= |Ship displacement=65,000 tons (standard);<ref name="statistics II">{{cite web |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20070821112507/http://www.ussmissouri.com/Battleship-US.htm |title=US Battleships |accessdate=2007-10-03 |publisher= USS Missouri Memorial Association}}</ref><br>70,965 tons (full load)<ref name="USB">{{cite book |last=Newhart |first=Max R. |title=American Battleships: A Pictorial History of BB-1 to BB-71 with prototypes Maine & Texas |origyear=1995 |origmonth=August |accessdate=2008-05-30 |edition=Battleship Memorial Edition |year=2007 |month=May |publisher=Pictorial Histories Publishing Company |location=Missoula, Montana |isbn=1575100045 |pages=p. 102–106 }}</ref><ref name="navsource">{{cite web |url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/67.htm |title=NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive (BB-67 USS Montana) |accessdate=2008-05-30 |author=Yarnall, Paul R. |work=NavSource Naval History: Photographic History Of The U.S. Navy |publisher=NavSource Team |pages=p. 148 }}</ref><ref>These would have been the heaviest warships in the US Navy at the time of their commissioning; and would have remained the class with the greatest displacement until the commissioning of the{{Sclass|Forrestal|aircraft carrier}}s, which weighed {{convert|79300|lb|abbr=on}} fully loaded. {{cite web | url = http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/cv-59.htm | title = CV-59 Forrestal class | date = [[1999-03-06]] | accessdate = 2007-12-24 | work = Military Analysis Network | publisher = [[Federation of American Scientists]] }}</ref> |Ship length={{convert|920|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="USB"/> |Ship beam={{convert|121|ft|0|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="USB"/> |Ship height= |Ship draft={{convert|36|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="USB"/> |Ship depth= |Ship hold depth= |Ship decks= |Ship deck clearance= |Ship ramps= |Ship ice class= |Ship power= |Ship propulsion=8 Babcock & Wilcox 2-drum express type boilers powering 4 sets of Westinghouse geared steam turbines 4 × 43,000&nbsp;hp (128&nbsp;MW)<ref name="USB"/> |Ship sail plan= |Ship speed=28 [[knot (speed)|knot]] (52&nbsp;km/h) maximum<ref name="The Battleships I">{{cite book | author =Johnston, Ian; McAuley, Rob | title =The Battleships | publisher =Channel 4 Books (an imprint of Pan Macmillian, LTD) | date =2002 | location =London | pages =p. 122 | url = http://www.panmacmillan.com/ | id =ISBN 0752261886}}</ref><ref name="USB"/> |Ship range=15,000 [[nautical miles|nmi]] at {{convert|15|kn|km/h}}<ref name="statistics II"/> |Ship endurance= |Ship boats= |Ship capacity= |Ship troops= |Ship complement=Standard: 2,355<ref name="USB"/><br />Flagship: 2,789<ref name="USB"/> |Ship crew= |Ship time to activate= |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament=12 × [[16"/50 caliber Mark 7 gun|16&nbsp;in (406&nbsp;mm) 50&nbsp;cal. Mark&nbsp;7 guns]]<ref name="USB"/><br />20 × [[5"/54 caliber Mark 16 gun|5&nbsp;in (127&nbsp;mm) 54&nbsp;cal. Mark&nbsp;16 guns]]<ref name="USB"/><br />10–40 × [[Bofors 40 mm gun|Bofors 40&nbsp;mm anti-aircraft gun]]<ref name="USB"/><br />56 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|Oerlikon 20&nbsp;mm anti-aircraft gun]]<ref name="USB"/> |Ship armor=Side [[belt armor|belt]]: 16.1&nbsp;in tapering to 10.2&nbsp;in on 1&nbsp;in STS plate inclined 19&nbsp;degrees<br> Lower side belt: 7.2&nbsp;in tapered to 1&nbsp;in inclined 10&nbsp;degrees<ref name="statistics II"/><br>[[Bulkhead]]s: 18&nbsp;in forward, 15.25&nbsp;in aft<ref name="statistics II"/><br>[[Barbette]]s: 21.3&nbsp;in, 18&nbsp;in (aft)<ref name="statistics II"/><br>[[Turret]]s: up to 22.5&nbsp;in<br>[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]s: up to 6&nbsp;in |Ship aircraft=3–4 × [[OS2U Kingfisher|Vought OS2U Kingfisher]]/[[Curtiss]] [[SC Seahawk]] |Ship aircraft facilities=Two aft catapults for launch of seaplanes<ref name="navsource"/> |Ship notes=Last battleship class designed for the United States Navy }} |} The '''''Montana''-class battleships''' of the [[United States Navy]] were planned as successors to the {{Sclass|Iowa|battleship|4}}, being slower but larger, better armored, and having superior firepower. Five were approved for construction during [[World War II]] but changes in wartime building priorities resulted in their cancellation in favor of the {{Sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier}}s before any ''Montana''-class [[keel#Structural keels|keels]] were laid. With an intended armament of twelve {{convert|16|in|mm|sing=on}} guns and a greater anti-aircraft capability than the preceding ''Iowa'' class, the ''Montana''s would have been the largest and the most heavily-armed battleships put to sea by the United States. They would have been the only US Navy battleship class to have come close to rivaling the [[Empire of Japan]]'s {{Sclass|Yamato|battleship}}s in terms of [[Vehicle armour|armor]], weaponry, and [[Displacement (ship)|displacement]].<ref name="magazine">{{cite journal | last = Minks | first = R. L. | url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4442/is_200609/ai_n17193832 | title = Montana class battleships end of the line | journal = Sea Classics | month = September | year = 2006 | location = [[Canoga Park, California]] | publisher = Challenge Publications | issn = | oclc = 3922521 | accessdate = 2007-12-01 }} (Convenience copy from [http://findarticles.com/ FindArticles.com])</ref> Preliminary design work for the ''Montana''s began before the US entry into World War II. The first two vessels were approved by [[United States Congress|Congress]] in 1939 following the passage of the [[Second Vinson Act]]. The Japanese [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] delayed construction of the ''Montana'' class. Following the success of carrier combat at the [[Battle of Coral Sea]] and, to a greater extent, the [[Battle of Midway]], the US Navy chose to cancel the ''Montana'' class in favor of [[fast battleship]]s which could escort the {{Sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier}}s then under construction. The ''Montana'' class was the last US Navy battleship to be designed; the four completed ''Iowa''-class battleships were the last to be [[ship commissioning|commissioned]].<ref>In theory, the US Navy could resume construction of battleships by building the ''Montana''-class battleships but the maintenance, cost, and vulnerability of battleships in modern warfare make this an unlikely and unattractive option.{{cite web |url=http://www.gao.gov/archive/1999/ns99225.pdf |title=Information on Options for Naval Surface Fire Support |accessdate=2007-03-14 |author=Government Accountability Office |date=[[2004-11-19]] |format=pdf |work=GAO report number GAO-05-39R}}</ref> == History == As the political situation in Europe and Asia worsened in the prelude to [[World War II]], [[Carl Vinson]], the chairman of the [[United States House of Representatives|House]] Committee on Naval Affairs, instituted the [[Vinson Naval Plan]], which aimed to get the Navy into fighting shape after the cutbacks imposed by the depression and the naval treaties of the 1930s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-514 |title=Carl Vinson (1883-1981) |accessdate=2008-05-28 |last=Cook |first=James F. |date=2002-07-11 |work=The New Georgia Encyclopedia |publisher=University of Georgia }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cvn70.navy.mil/vinson/vinson2.htm |title=The Vinson Naval Plan |accessdate=2008-05-28 |author=United States Navy |authorlink=United States Navy |publisher=United States Navy }}</ref> As part of the overall plan Congress passed the [[Second Vinson Act]] in 1938, which cleared the way for construction of the four [[South Dakota class battleship (1939)|''South Dakota''-class]] [[fast battleship]]s and the first two ''Iowa''-class battleships (hull numbers BB-61 and BB-62).<ref name="math">{{cite web |url=http://web.umr.edu/~rogersda/american&military_history/World%27s%20Fastest%20Battleships.pdf |title=Development of the World's Fastest Battleships|publisher= Missouri University of Science and Technology|accessdate=2007-04-28 |format=pdf |last=Rogers |first=J. David}}</ref> Four additional battleships (with hull numbers BB-63, BB-64, BB-65, and BB-66) were approved for construction in 1940,<ref name="math"/> with the last two intended to be the first ships of the ''Montana'' class.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/bb-67.htm |title=BB-67 Montana Class |accessdate=2008-05-18|publisher=GlobalSecurity.org|author=Pike, John E. }}</ref> By 1942, it was apparent to the US Navy high command that they needed as many fast battleships as possible, and hull numbers BB-65 and BB-66 were allocated to fast battleships {{USS|Illinois|BB-65|2}} and {{USS|Kentucky|BB-66|2}}.<ref name="spring">Naval Historical Center. Bureau of Ships' "Spring Styles" Book # 3 (1939-1944) -- (Naval Historical Center Lot # S-511) -- Battleship Preliminary Design Drawings. Retrieved [[2007-12-01]].</ref> The Navy, mindful of the ongoing construction of Japan's {{Sclass|Yamato|battleship|0}} battleships, had been working on a 58,000-ton "super battleship" concept since 1938.<ref name="math"/> This new class, with twelve {{convert|16|in|mm|sing=on}} guns, was assigned the name ''Montana'' and cleared for construction by the [[United States Congress]] under the [[Two-Ocean Navy Act]] in 1940; funding for the new ships was approved in 1941. These ships, the last battleships to be ordered by the Navy, were to be designated BB-67 through BB-71.<ref name="spring"/> Completion of the ''Montana'' class, and the last two ''Iowa''-class battleships, was intended to give the US Navy a considerable advantage over any other nation, or probable combination of nations, with a total of 17 new battleships by the late 1940s.<ref>These 17 battleships were authorized after the treaty agreements from the Second London Naval Conference expired on [[1 January]] [[1937]] ({{cite book | author =Johnston, Ian; McAuley, Rob | title =The Battleships | publisher =Channel 4 Books (an imprint of Pan Macmillian, LTD) | date =2002 | location =London | pages =p. 122 | url = http://www.panmacmillan.com/ | id =ISBN 0752261886}}), and include the {{Sclass|North Carolina|battleship|0}} battleships {{USS|North Carolina|BB-55|2}} and {{USS|Washington|BB-56|2}}, the [[South Dakota class battleship (1939)|''South Dakota''-class]] battleships {{USS|South Dakota|BB-57|2}}, {{USS|Indiana|BB-58|2}}, {{USS|Massachusetts|BB-59|2}}, and {{USS|Alabama|BB-60|2}}, the {{Sclass|Iowa|battleship|0}} battleships {{USS|Iowa|BB-61|2}}, {{USS|New Jersey|BB-62|2}}, {{USS|Missouri|BB-63|2}}, {{USS|Wisconsin|BB-64|2}}, {{USS|Illinois|BB-65|2}}, and {{USS|Kentucky|BB-66|2}}, and the ''Montana''-class battleships {{USS|Montana|BB-67|2}}, {{USS|Ohio|BB-68|2}}, {{USS|Maine|BB-69|2}}, {{USS|New Hampshire|BB-70|2}}, and {{USS|Louisiana|BB-71|2}}. ({{cite book |last=Newhart |first=Max R. |title=American Battleships: A Pictorial History of BB-1 to BB-71 with prototypes Maine & Texas |origyear=1995 |origmonth=August |accessdate=2008-05-30 |edition=Battleship Memorial Edition |year=2007 |month=May |publisher=Pictorial Histories Publishing Company |location=Missoula, Montana |isbn=1575100045 |pages=p. 102–106 }})</ref> The ''Montanas'' also would have been the only American ships to come close to equaling Japan's massive ''Yamato'' and her sister ''Musashi'' in terms of size and firepower.<ref name="magazine"/> === Design === Preliminary planning for the ''Montana''-class battleships took place in 1939, when the aircraft carrier was still considered inferior to the battleship. The Navy began designing a 65,000-ton battleship to counter the threat posed by the {{Sclass|Yamato|battleship}}s of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]. Although the Navy knew little about the ''Yamato'' class,<ref>The dimensions of the ''Yamato'' class were so well concealed that the US only gleaned details from intercepted Imperial Japanese Navy intelligence reports. (SRMN-012: 14th Naval District Combat Intelligence Unit. TS Summaries with Comments by CINCPAC War Plans/Fleet Intelligence Sections, [[13 February]] [[1942]], RG 457, MHI.)</ref> the new Japanese battleships were rumored to have a main gun battery of {{convert|18|in|mm}}.<ref>Although rumored to be carrying [[40 cm/45 Type 94|18.1-inch]] guns the United States Navy did not believe that the Empire of Japan had the technological know-how to engineer such a high caliber gun, and thus estimated that the ''Yamato''-class would mount {{convert|16|in|mm|adj=on}} guns. (Toynbee, ''Summary of International Affairs'', 1936, p. 112. W. D. Puleston, ''The Armed Forces of the Pacific: A Comparison of the Military and Naval Power of the United States and Japan'' (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1941), p. 208–211. CNO to FDR, [[24 March]] [[1938]], Navy Department, PSF, FDRL. General Board, "''Characteristics of Battleships, 1941 Building Program''", [[28 June]] [[1939]], p. 121, NHC. Secretary to FDR, [[14 April]] [[1937]], Claude Swanson Folder, Navy Department, PSF, FDRL.)</ref> Initially, plans were drawn for a 45,000-ton US battleship, but after evaluation, the Battleship Design Advisory Board increased the displacement of the planned ship to 58,000&nbsp;tons.<ref name="magazine"/> At the time, the design board issued a basic outline for the ''Montana'' class that called for it to be free of beam restrictions imposed by the Panama Canal, be 25% stronger offensively and defensively than any other battleship completed or under construction, and be capable of withstanding the "super heavy" {{convert|2700|lb|abbr=on}} shells used by US battleships equipped with either the 16"/45&nbsp;caliber guns or [[16"/50 caliber Mark 7 gun|16"/50&nbsp;caliber Mark 7 gun]]s. Although freed of the restriction of fitting through the Panama Canal, the length and height of the ''Montana'' class were limited by one of the shipyards at which they were to be built: the [[Brooklyn Navy Yard|New York Navy Yard]] could not handle the construction of a 58,000-ton ship, and vessels built there had to be low enough to clear the [[Brooklyn Bridge]] at [[low tide]].<ref>The {{Sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier}}s encountered the same clearance problems early in their construction. ({{cite journal | last = Minks | first = R. L. | url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4442/is_200609/ai_n17193832 | title = Montana class battleships end of the line | journal = Sea Classics | month = September | year = 2006 | location = [[Canoga Park, California]] | publisher = Challenge Publications | issn = | oclc = 3922521 | accessdate = 2007-12-01 }} (Convenience copy from [http://findarticles.com/ FindArticles.com]))</ref> After debate at the design board about whether the ''Montana'' class should be fast, achieving the high {{convert|33|kn|km/h|sing=on}} speed of the {{Sclass|Iowa|battleship|4}}, or up-gunned and up-armored, firepower was selected over speed.<ref name="magazine"/> By returning the ''Montana'' class to the slower {{convert|28|kn|km/h|sing=on}} maximum speed of the [[North Carolina class battleship|''North Carolina'']] and [[South Dakota class battleship (1939)|''South Dakota'']] classes, naval architects were able to increase armor protection for the ''Montanas'', enabling the ships to withstand their own guns' ammunition. This limited the ''Montanas''' ability to escort and defend the Pacific-based Allied aircraft carrier fleet,<ref name="math"/><ref name="magazine"/> as the class was to be powered by eight [[Babcock & Wilcox]] boilers which would have enabled them to sail at approximately 27&nbsp;to 28&nbsp;knots (50 to 52&nbsp;km/h).<ref> As the class was never completed, the true speed these battleships would have reached during trials remains educated guesswork. Twenty-seven to twenty-eight knots has frequently been cited as the probable speed based on the known speed of the ''Iowa'' class, calculations used in the hull design of the ''Iowa'' and ''Montana'' classes, and the known power-output limits for ship engines at this time. {{cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/usnshtp/bb/bb67.htm |title=Montana Class (BB-67 through BB-71) |accessdate=2008-05-28 |author=Department of the Navy |authorlink=United States Navy |publisher=Naval Historical Center }}</ref> === Fate === By January 1941, the design limit for the 58,000-ton battleship plan had been reached, and consensus among those designing the battleship class was to increase the displacement to support the armor and weaponry on the ships. At the same time, planners decided to adopt a slightly greater length and reduce power for a better machinery arrangement, as well as improving internal subdivisions, and selecting as the secondary armament several dual mounted [[5"/54 caliber Mark 16 gun|5"/54&nbsp;caliber guns]] instead of the [[5"/38 caliber gun|5"/38&nbsp;caliber guns]] used on the ''Iowas''. At this point, the net design for the ''Montana'' class somewhat resembled the ''Iowa'' class since they would be equipped with the same caliber main guns and similar caliber secondary guns; however ''Montana'' and her sisters had more armor, mounted three more main guns, and were {{convert|22|ft|m}} longer and {{convert|13|ft|m}} wider than the ''Iowa'' class.<ref name="magazine"/> By April 1942, the ''Montana''-class design had been approved; construction was authorized by the United States Congress and the projected date of completion was estimated to be somewhere between [[1 July]] and [[1 November]] [[1945]]. The Navy ordered the ships in May 1942, but the ''Montana'' class were placed on hold because the ''Iowa''-class battleships and the ''Essex''-class aircraft carriers were under construction in the [[shipyards]] intended to build the ''Montanas''. Unfortunately for the ''Montana'' class, both the ''Iowa'' and ''Essex'' classes had been given higher priorities: the ''Iowas'' due to their ability to defend the ''Essex''-class carriers with 20&nbsp;mm and 40&nbsp;mm guns, and the ''Essexes'' because of their ability to launch aircraft to gain and maintain [[air supremacy]] over the islands in the Pacific and intercept warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Because of this, the entire ''Montana'' class was suspended in May 1942, before any of their keels had been laid. In July 1943, the construction of the ''Montana'' class was canceled following the [[Battle of Midway]], and the corresponding shift in naval warfare from surface engagements to air supremacy, and, thus, a shift from battleships to aircraft carriers.<ref name="math"/><ref name="magazine"/> ==Ships== Five ships of the ''Montana'' class were authorized on 19 July 1940. All five were subsequently suspended indefinitely until being canceled 21 July 1943. The five ships were to be built at [[New York Navy Yard]], [[Philadelphia Navy Yard]], and [[Norfolk Navy Yard]]. ; USS ''Montana'' (BB-67) : {{USS|Montana|BB-67|2}} was to be the [[lead ship]] of her class. She was the third ship to be [[ship naming and launching|named]] in honor of [[Montana|the 41st state]], and was assigned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard. ''Montana'' was the second battleship and third ship overall to be given that name; however, both battleships (the other being {{USS|Montana|BB-51|1}}) were canceled. As a result, Montana is the only state in the union during the modern battleship building period (1906–1946) not to have had a battleship completed in its honor.<ref name="Montana">{{cite DANFS | title = Montana | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m14/montana.htm | link = off | accessdate=2007-10-13}}</ref><ref name="Montana II">{{ cite web | title = Montana (BB 67) | url = http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/BB67.htm | work = [[Naval Vessel Register]] | publisher = [[United States Navy]], [[Naval Sea Systems Command]] | accessdate=2007-12-01}}</ref> ; USS ''Ohio'' (BB-68) : {{USS|Ohio|BB-68|2}} was to be the second ''Montana''-class battleship, however she was canceled before her keel was laid. She was to be named in honor of [[Ohio|the 17th state]], and was assigned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard for construction. ''Ohio'' would have been the fourth ship to bear that name had she been [[ship commissioning|commissioned]].<ref name="Ohio">{{cite DANFS | title = Ohio | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o2/ohio-iii.htm | accessdate=2007-10-13 | link=off }}</ref><ref name="Ohio II">{{ cite web | title = Ohio (BB 68) | url = http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/BB68.htm | work = Naval Vessel Register | publisher = United States Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command | accessdate=2007-12-01}}</ref> ; USS ''Maine'' (BB-69) : {{USS|Maine|BB-69|2}} was to be the third ''Montana''-class battleship. She was to be named in honor of [[Maine|the 23rd state]], and was assigned to the New York Navy Yard. ''Maine'' would have been the third ship to bear that name had she been commissioned.<ref name="Maine">{{cite DANFS | title = Maine | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m2/maine-ii.htm | accessdate=2007-10-13 | link=off }}</ref><ref name="Maine II">{{ cite web | title = Maine (BB 69) | url = http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/BB69.htm | work = Naval Vessel Register | publisher = United States Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command | accessdate=2007-12-01}}</ref> ; USS ''New Hampshire'' (BB-70) : {{USS|New Hampshire|BB-70|2}} was to be the fourth ''Montana''-class battleship, and was to be named in honor of [[New Hampshire|the ninth state]]. She was assigned to the New York Navy Yard, and would have been the third ship to bear that name had she been commissioned.<ref name="New Hampshire">{{cite DANFS | title = New Hampshire | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/n4/new_hampshire-ii.htm | accessdate=2007-10-13 | link=off }}</ref><ref name="New Hampshire II">{{ cite web | title = New Hampshire (BB 70) | url = http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/BB70.htm | work = Naval Vessel Register | publisher = United States Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command | accessdate=2007-12-01}}</ref> ; USS ''Louisiana'' (BB-71) : {{USS|Louisiana|BB-71|2}} was to be the fifth and final ''Montana''-class [[battleship]]. She was to be named in honor of [[Louisiana|the 18th state]], and was assigned to the Norfolk Navy Yard, [[Portsmouth, Virginia]]. ''Louisiana'' would have been the third ship to bear that name had she been commissioned.<ref name="Louisiana">{{cite DANFS | title = Louisiana | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/l8/louisiana-iii.htm | accessdate=2007-10-13 | link=off }}</ref><ref name="Louisiana II">{{ cite web | title = Louisiana (BB 71) | url = http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/BB71.htm | work = Naval Vessel Register | publisher = United States Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command | accessdate=2007-12-01}}</ref> By hull number, ''Louisiana'' holds the unique honor of being the last American battleship authorized for construction.<ref>{{USS|Kentucky|BB-66|6}} was the highest numbered battleship hull to have been under construction but not completed for the US Navy. See: {{cite DANFS | title = Kentucky | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/k3/kentucky.htm | accessdate=2006-01-17 | link = off }}</ref><ref>{{USS|Wisconsin|BB-64}} is numerically the highest numbered US battleship built, although she was actually completed before {{USS|Missouri|BB-63}}, making ''Missouri'' the last completed US battleship. ''Wisconsin'' was commissioned [[April 16]] [[1944]] ({{cite web | url = http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/BB64.htm | title = Wisconsin (BB 64) | url = http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/BB71.htm | work = Naval Vessel Register | publisher = United States Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command | accessdate=2008-05-27}}), while USS ''Missouri'' was commissioned [[June 11]] [[1944]]. ({{cite web | url = http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/BB63.htm | title = Missouri (BB 63) | url = http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/BB71.htm | work = Naval Vessel Register | publisher = United States Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command | accessdate=2008-05-27}})</ref> ==Armament== The armament of the ''Montana''-class battleships would have been similar to the preceding ''Iowa''-class battleships, but with an increase in the number of primary and secondary guns for use against enemy surface ships and aircraft. Had they been completed, the ''Montanas'' would have been gun-for-gun the most powerful battleships the United States had constructed, and the only US battleship class that would have come close to equaling the Imperial Japanese Navy battleships ''Yamato'' and ''Musashi'' on a gun-for-gun and ton-for-ton basis. ===Main battery=== [[Image:Iowa 16 inch Gun-EN.svg|thumb|right|Cutaway of a 16-inch gun turret]] The primary armament of a ''Montana''-class battleship would have been twelve [[16 inch (406 mm)/50 caliber Mark 7 naval gun|16-inch (406&nbsp;mm) / 50-caliber Mark&nbsp;7 naval guns]], which were to be housed in four 3-gun turrets: two forward and two aft. The guns, the same used to arm the ''Iowa''-class battleships, were 66&nbsp;feet (20&nbsp;m) long—50&nbsp;times their {{convert|16|in|mm|sing=on}} bore, or 50&nbsp;calibers, from [[breechface]] to [[muzzle (firearm)|muzzle]]. Each gun weighed about 239,000&nbsp;[[pound (mass)|pound]]s (108,000&nbsp;kg) without the breech, or 267,900&nbsp;pounds with the breech.<ref name="Mark7">{{cite web | last = DiGiulian | first = Tony | url = http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_16-50_mk7.htm | title = United States of America 16"/50 (40.6 cm) Mark 7 | accessdate = 2007-02-25 | year = 2006 | month = November | publisher = NavWeaps.com }}</ref>They fired projectiles weighing from 1,900 to 2,700&nbsp;pounds (850 to 1,200&nbsp;kg) at a maximum speed of {{convert|2690|ft/s|m/s|lk=on}} with a range of up to 24&nbsp;[[nautical mile]]s (39&nbsp;km). At maximum range the projectile would have spent almost 1½&nbsp;minutes in flight.<ref name="Mark7"> The addition of the #4&nbsp;turret would have allowed ''Montana'' to overtake the ''Yamato'' as the battleship having heaviest broadside overall; ''Montana'' and her sisters would have had a broadside of 32,400&nbsp;pounds<ref name="magazine"/> vs. 28,800 for ''Yamato''.<ref>Mathematically this conclusion can by arrived at by dividing the overall broadside for the ''Yamato'' class and the ''Iowa'' class: each gun aboard a ''Yamato''-class battleship was designed to fire a {{convert|3200|lb|kg|lk=on}} projectile;{{cite web |url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNJAP_18-45_t94.htm |title=Japanese 46 cm/45 (18.1") Type 94 |accessdate=2008-05-30 |last=DiGiulian |first=Tony |date=2007-04-23 |publisher=NavWeapons.com}} multiplied by nine this gives a ''Yamato''-class ship a {{convert|28800|lb|kg|lk=on}} broadside. Each ''Iowa''-class battleship gun can fire a {{convert|2700|lb|kg|lk=on}} shell;{{cite web |url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_16-50_mk7.htm |title=United States of America 16"/50 (40.6 cm) Mark 7 |accessdate=2008-05-30 |last=DiGiulian |first=Tony |date=2008-03-03 |publisher=NavWeapons.com}} multiplied by twelve this gives a broadside of {{convert|32400|lb|kg|lk=on}}.</ref> Each gun would have rested within an armored [[barbette]], but only the top of the barbette would have protruded above the main deck. The barbettes would have extended either four decks (turrets 1 and 4) or five decks (turrets 2 and 3) down. The lower spaces would have contained rooms for handling the projectiles and storing the powder bags used to fire them. Each turret would have required a crew of 94&nbsp;men to operate.<ref name="Mark7"/> The turrets would not have been attached to the ship, but would have rested on rollers, which meant that had any of the ''Montana''-class ships [[capsize]]d, the turrets would have fallen out.<ref>During his investigation of the wreck of the [[German battleship Bismarck|German battleship ''Bismarck'']] oceanographer Robert D. Ballard and his team found four large empty barbettes that had once held the turrets Anton, Bruno, Ceaser, and Doris. Ballard noted in his book ''Exploring the Bismarck'' that, "None of the four big turrets [were] still attached to the ship", each having fallen out when the battleship capsized and sank. {{cite book |last=Ballard |first=Robert D. |authorlink=Robert Ballard |others=with Rick Archbold |title=Exploring the Bismarck |origyear=1991 |edition=2nd Printing |year=1994 |publisher=Scholastic / Madison Press |location=Italy |isbn=0-590-44269-4 |page=p. 51 |chapter=Exploring the Bismarck}}</ref> Each turret would have cost US$1.4&nbsp;million, but this figure did not take into account the cost of the guns themselves.<ref name="Mark7"/> The turrets would have been "three-gun", not "triple", because each barrel would have elevated and fired independently. The ships could fire any combination of their guns, including a [[broadside]] of all 12. Contrary to popular belief, the ships would not have moved sideways noticeably when a broadside was fired.<ref>{{cite web | title =Do battleships move sideways when they fire? | publisher = NavWeaps.com| url = http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-022.htm|author= Landgraff, R. A.; Locock, Greg | accessdate =2008-05-19 }}</ref> The guns would have been elevated from &minus;5&nbsp;degrees to +45&nbsp;degrees, moving at up to 12&nbsp;degrees per second. The turrets would have rotated about 300&nbsp;degrees at about 4&nbsp;degrees per second and could even be fired back beyond the [[Beam (nautical)|beam]], which is sometimes called "over the shoulder". Within each turret, a red stripe on the wall of the turret, just inches from the railing, would have marked the boundary of the gun's recoil, providing the crew of each gun turret with a visual reference for the minimum safe distance range.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/weaps/mk-7.htm |title=Mark 7 16-inch/50-caliber gun |accessdate=2007-03-12 |publisher=Federation of American Scientists}}</ref> Like most battleships in World War II, the ''Montana'' class would have been equipped with a fire control computer, in this case the [[Ford]] [[Mark I Fire Control Computer|Mk 1A Ballistic Computer]], a {{convert|3150|lb|kg|adj=on}} [[rangekeeper]] designed to direct gunfire on land, sea, and in the air.<ref name="NavOrdAndGunV2">{{cite book||title =Naval Ordnance and Gunnery, Volume 2 Fire Control, NAVPERS 10798-A |publisher =U.S. Navy, Bureau of Naval Personnel|date =1958 edition|location =Washington 25, D.C.}}</ref> This [[analog computer]] would have been used to direct the fire from the battleship's big guns, taking into account several factors such as the speed of the targeted ship, the time it takes for a projectile to travel, and air resistance to the shells fired at a target. At the time the ''Montana'' class was set to begin construction, the rangekeepers had gained the ability to use radar data to help target enemy ships and land-based targets. The results of this advance were telling: the rangekeeper was able to track and fire at targets at a greater range and with increased accuracy, as was demonstrated in November 1942 when the battleship {{USS|Washington|BB-56|6}} engaged the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] [[battlecruiser]] [[Japanese battleship Kirishima|''Kirishima'']] at a range of {{convert|18500|yd}} at night.<ref name="Kirishima">{{cite book | last = Mindell | first = David | title = Between Human and Machine | publisher = Johns Hopkins | date = 2002 | location = Baltimore | pages = p. 262–263 | id = ISBN 0-8018-8057-2 }}</ref> The engagement left ''Kirishima'' in flames, and she was ultimately scuttled by her crew.<ref name = "early">{{cite web | author = Clymer, A. Ben | title = The Mechanical Analog Computers of Hannibal Ford and William Newell | publisher =Massachusetts Institute of Technology| work= IEEE Annals of the History of Computing | date = Vol. 15 No. 2, 1993 | url = http://web.mit.edu/STS.035/www/PDFs/Newell.pdf | format = pdf | accessdate = 2006-08-26}}</ref> This gave the US Navy a major advantage in World War II, as the Japanese did not develop radar or automated fire control to the level of the US Navy.<ref name="Kirishima"/> {{Rquote|right|When you're penetrating armor, there is a thing called frontal density &mdash; it's not just the weight of the shell, it's the weight of the shell trying to punch a hole through [the armor]. Well, the 16"/50 heavy shell was almost as good an armor penetrator as the Japanese 18.1" shell.|Philip Simms, naval architect|<ref name="Discovery">{{cite episode | url = http://military.discovery.com/convergence/topten/warships/slideshow/slideshow_10.html | title = The 10 Greatest Fighting Ships in Military History | network = The Discovery Channel | accessdate = 2007-04-23}}.</ref>}} The large caliber guns were designed to fire two different 16-inch (406&nbsp;mm) shells: an armor piercing round for anti-ship and anti-structure work, and a high explosive round designed for use against unarmored targets and shore bombardment. The Mk.&nbsp;8 APC (Armor-Piercing, Capped) shell weighed in at {{convert|2700|lb|kg}}, and was designed to penetrate the hardened steel armor carried by foreign battleships. At {{convert|20000|yd|km}}, the Mk.&nbsp;8 could penetrate {{convert|20|in|mm}} of steel armor plate. At the same range, the Mk.&nbsp;8 could penetrate {{convert|21|ft|m}} of reinforced concrete.<ref name="Ammo">Ammunition data is taken from: {{cite book | last = Garzke | first = William H. | coauthors = Dulin, Robert O. | title = Battleships : United States battleships, 1935–1992 | location = [[Annapolis, Maryland]] | publisher = [[Naval Institute Press]] | year = 1995 | edition = Rev. and updated ed. | isbn = 9780870210990| oclc = 29387525 }}<!-- still need page numbers --></ref> For unarmored targets and shore bombardment, the {{convert|1900|lb|kg|adj=on}} Mk.&nbsp;13 HC (High-Capacity—referring to the large bursting charge) shell was available. The Mk.&nbsp;13 shell could create a [[impact crater|crater]] {{convert|50|ft|m}} wide and {{convert|20|ft|m}} deep upon impact and detonation, and could defoliate trees {{convert|400|yd|m}} from the point of impact.<ref name="Ammo"/> The final type of ammunition developed for the {{convert|16|in|mm|sing=on}} guns were "Katie" shells. These shells were born from the nuclear deterrence that had begun to shape the US armed forces at the start of the Cold War. To compete with the [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] and the [[United States Army|Army]], which had developed nuclear bombs and nuclear shells for use on the battlefield, the Navy began a top-secret program to develop Mk.&nbsp;23 nuclear naval shells with an estimated yield of 15 to 20&nbsp;kilotons. The shells entered development around 1953, and were reportedly ready by 1956; however, the cancellation of the ''Montana'' class meant that only the ''Iowa''-class battleships, armed as they were with the same type of gun, could use the shells if the need had arisen.<ref name="Ammo"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Yenne |first=Bill |title=Secret Weapons of the Cold War |year=2005 |publisher=Berkley Books |location=New York |isbn=0-425-20149-X |pages=p. 132–133 |chapter=Mega Artillery }}</ref> ===Secondary battery=== The secondary armament for ''Montana'' and her sisters was to be twenty [[5"/54 caliber Mark 16 gun|5"/54&nbsp;caliber guns]] housed in ten turrets along the island of the battleship; five on the starboard side and five on the port. These guns, designed specifically for the ''Montanas'', were to be the replacement for the [[5"/38 caliber gun|5"/38&nbsp;caliber]] secondary gun batteries then in widespread use with the United States Navy.<ref name="navwep2">{{cite web |url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_5-54_mk16.htm |title=United States of America 5"/54 (12.7&nbsp;cm) Mark&nbsp;16 |publisher= NavWeaps.com|accessdate=2007-12-15 }}</ref> The 5"/54&nbsp;caliber gun turrets were similar to the 5"/38&nbsp;gun mounts in that they were equally adept in an anti-aircraft role and for damaging smaller ships, but differed in that they weighed more, fired heavier rounds of ammunition, and resulted in faster crew fatigue than the 5"/38&nbsp;caliber guns.<ref name="navwep2"/><ref name="study">{{cite web |url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_5-54_mk65.htm |title=United States of America Experimental and Proposed 5.4" (13.7&nbsp;cm) and 5" (12.7&nbsp;cm) Guns 1940s - 1960s|publisher= NavWeaps.com |accessdate=2007-12-15 }}</ref> The ammunition storage for the 5"/54&nbsp;caliber gun was 500&nbsp;rounds per turret, and the guns could fire at targets nearly {{convert|26000|yd}} away at a 45-degree angle. At an 85-degree angle the guns could hit a target at over {{convert|50000|ft|m}}.<ref name="navwep2"/> The cancellation of the ''Montana''-class battleships in 1943 pushed back the combat debut of the 5"/54&nbsp;caliber guns to 1945, when they were used aboard the US Navy's {{sclass|Midway|aircraft carrier}}s. The guns proved adequate for the carrier's air defense, but were gradually phased out of use by the carrier fleet because of their weight.<ref name="navwep2"/> ===Anti-aircraft batteries=== For the first time since the construction of the ''Iowa'' class the US Navy was not building a fast battleship class solely for the purpose of escorting Pacific-based aircraft carriers, and thus the ''Montana'' class would not be designed principally for escorting the [[fast carrier task force]]s; nonetheless they would have been equipped with a wide array of anti-aircraft guns to protect themselves and other ships (principally the US aircraft carriers) from Japanese fighters and dive bombers. ====Oerlikon 20&nbsp;mm anti-aircraft guns==== [[Image:USS Iowa (BB-61) Oerlikon 20mm AA gun mount.jpg|thumb|right|An Oerlikon 20&nbsp;mm anti-aircraft gun aboard the battleship {{USS|Iowa|BB-61|2}}]] The [[Oerlikon Contraves|Oerlikon]] [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20&nbsp;mm anti-aircraft gun]] was one of the most heavily produced [[anti-aircraft gun]]s of World War II; the US alone manufactured a total of 124,735 of these guns. When activated in 1941, these guns replaced the [[M2 Browning machine gun|0.50"/90 (12.7&nbsp;mm) M2 Browning MG]] on a one-for-one basis. The Oerlikon 20&nbsp;mm AA gun remained the primary anti-aircraft weapon of the United States Navy until the introduction of the [[Bofors 40 mm gun|40&nbsp;mm Bofors AA gun]] in 1943.<ref name="Oerlikon">{{cite web |url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_2cm-70_mk234.htm |title=United States of America 20 mm/70 (0.79") Marks 2, 3 & 4 |publisher= NavWeaps.com|accessdate=2007-02-25 |year=2006 |month=September }}</ref> These guns are air-cooled and use a gas blow-back recoil system. Unlike other automatic guns employed during World War II the barrel of the 20&nbsp;mm Oerlikon gun does not recoil; the [[breechblock]] is never locked against the breech and is actually moving forward when the gun fires. This weapon lacks a counter-recoil brake, as the force of the counter-recoil is checked by the explosion of the next round of ammunition.<ref name="Oerlikon"/> Between December 1941 and September 1944, 32% of all Japanese aircraft downed were credited to this weapon, with the high point being 48.3% for the second half of 1942. In 1943, the revolutionary Mark&nbsp;14 [[gunsight]] was introduced, which made these guns even more effective. The 20&nbsp;mm guns, however, were found to be ineffective against the Japanese [[kamikaze]] attacks used during the latter half of World War II. They were subsequently phased out in favor of the heavier 40&nbsp;mm Bofors AA guns.<ref name="Oerlikon"/> ====Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns==== [[Image:Bofors firing USS Hornet.jpg|thumb|right|Bofors 40&nbsp;mm anti-aircraft guns on a MK&nbsp;12 quadruple mount fire from the deck of the {{USS|Hornet|CV-12|6}} in World War II.]] Arguably the best light anti-aircraft weapon of World War II, the [[Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun|Bofors 40&nbsp;mm anti-aircraft gun]] was used on almost every major warship in the US and UK fleet from about 1943 to 1945. Although a descendant of German, Dutch, and Swedish designs, the Bofors mounts used by the US Navy during World War II had been heavily "Americanized" to bring the guns up to the standards placed on them by the Navy. This resulted in a guns system set to English standards (now known as the [[United States customary units|Standard System]]) with interchangeable ammunition, which simplified the logistics situation for World War II. When coupled with hydraulic couple drives to reduce salt contamination and the Mark&nbsp;51 director for improved accuracy, the Bofors 40&nbsp;mm gun became a fearsome adversary, accounting for roughly half of all Japanese aircraft shot down between [[1 October]] [[1944]] and [[1 February]] [[1945]].<ref name="Bofors">{{cite web |url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_4cm-56_mk12.htm |publisher= NavWeaps.com|title=United States of America 40 mm/56 (1.57") Mark 1, Mark 2 and M1 |accessdate=2007-02-25 |year=2006 |month=November }}</ref> ==Armor== Aside from its firepower, a battleship's defining feature is its armor. The exact design and placement of the armor, inextricably linked with the ship's stability and performance, is a complex science honed over decades.<ref name="armor">{{cite web |url=http://www.battleship.org/html/Articles/IowaClass/Armor.htm |title=Iowa Class: Armor Protection |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Iowa Class Preservation Society}}</ref> A battleship is usually armored to withstand an attack from guns the size of its own, but the armor scheme of the preceding {{sclass|North Carolina|battleship|4}} was only proof against {{convert|14|in|mm|adj=on}} shells, while the [[South Dakota class battleship (1939)|''South Dakota'']] and [[Iowa class battleship|''Iowa'']] classes were designed only to resist their original complement of Mark V {{convert|2240|lb|kg|adj=on}} shells, not the new "super-heavy" {{convert|2700|lb|kg|adj=on}} APC (Armor Piercing, Capped) Mark7 VIII shells they actually used. The ''Montana''s were the only US battleships designed to resist the Mark VIII.<ref name="math"/> Until the authorization of the ''Montana'' class all US battleships were built within the size limits for the [[Panama Canal]]. The main reason for this was [[Military logistics|logistical]]: the largest US shipyards were located on the [[East Coast of the United States]], while the United States had territorial interests in both oceans.<ref name="math"/> Requiring the battleships to fit within the Panama Canal took days off the transition time from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the [[Pacific Ocean]] by allowing ships to move through the canal instead of sailing around [[South America]].<ref>Sailing battleships around South America was unusual, but had been done by the battleship {{USS|Oregon|BB-3}} during the [[Spanish-American War]]. ({{cite DANFS | title = Oregon | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o3/oregon-ii.htm | accessdate=2008-05-18}})</ref> By the time of the Two Ocean Navy bill, the Navy realized that ship designs could no longer be limited by the Panama Canal and thus approved the ''Montana'' class knowing that the ships would be unable to clear the locks.<ref name="math"/> This shift in policy meant that the ''Montana'' class would have been the only World War II-era US battleships to be adequately armored against guns of the same power as their own. ==Aircraft== [[Image:USS Montana (BB-67) Stern.jpg|upright|thumb|right|Stern view of a ''Montana'' class battleship model, showing the catapults and tail crane for launching and recovery of floatplanes]] The ''Montana'' class would have used aircraft for [[reconnaissance]] and for gunnery spotting.<ref name="magazine"/> The type of aircraft used would have depended on when exactly the battleships would have been commissioned, but in all probability they would have used either the Kingfisher or the Seahawk.<ref>As the class was never completed, determining the actual aircraft that would have been used aboard the battleships remains, at best, educated guesswork. Given that the floatplanes active at the estimated completion timeframe of [[1 July]] to [[1 November]] [[1945]] were the Kingfisher and the Seahawk, it stands to reason that one of these two floatplanes would have been selected for use aboard the battleship class.</ref> The aircraft would have been [[floatplane]]s launched from catapults on the ship's [[fantail]].<ref name="magazine"/> They would have landed on the water and taxied to the stern of the ship to be lifted by a crane back to the catapult. ===Kingfisher=== The [[Vought]] [[OS2U Kingfisher]] was a lightly armed two-man aircraft designed in 1937. The Kingfisher's high operating ceiling made it well-suited for its primary mission: to observe the fall of shot from a battleship's guns and radio corrections back to the ship. The floatplanes used in World War II also performed [[search and rescue]] for [[Naval aviation|naval aviators]] who were shot down or forced to ditch in the ocean.<ref name="planes">{{cite web |url=http://www.battleship.org/html/Articles/IowaClass/Aircraft.htm |title=Iowa Class: Shipboard Aircraft |accessdate=2007-03-13 |publisher=Iowa Class Preservation Association}}</ref> ===Seahawk=== In June 1942, the US Navy [[Bureau of Aeronautics]] requested industry proposals for a new seaplane to replace the Kingfisher and Curtiss [[SO3C Seamew]]. The new aircraft was required to be able to use landing gear as well as floats.<ref name=janes>{{Ref Jane's|The Curtiss Seahawk|221–222|wwii}}</ref> Curtiss submitted a design on [[August 1]], and received a contract for two prototypes and five service-test aircraft on [[August 25]].<ref name="janes"/> The first flight of a prototype XSC-1 took place on [[16 February]] [[1944]] at the [[Columbus, Ohio]] Curtiss plant. The first production aircraft were delivered in October 1944, and by the beginning of 1945 the single-seat [[Curtiss]] [[SC Seahawk]] floatplane began replacing the Kingfisher. Had the ''Montana'' class been completed, they would have arrived around the time of this replacement, and would likely have been equipped with the Seahawk for use in combat operations and seaborne search and rescue.<ref name="magazine"/> {{-}} ==Notes== {{reflist|2}} ==References== *Keegan, John; Ellis, Chris; Natkiel, Richard. (2001) ''World War II: A Visual Encyclopedia''. PRC Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85585-878-9 *Muir, Malcolm Jr. (October 1990). "Rearming in a Vacuum: United States Navy Intelligence and the Japanese Capital Ship Threat, 1936-1945". ''The Journal of Military History'', Vol. 54, No. 4. *Naval Historical Foundation [2000] (2004). ''The Navy''. New York: Barnes & Noble Inc. ISBN 0-7607-6218-X == External links == {{portalpar|Military of the United States|Naval Jack of the United States.svg|65}} {{commons|Category:Montana class battleships|Montana class battleship}} *[http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_16-50_mk7_firing.htm Firing procedure for the 16"/50 (40.6&nbsp;cm) Mark 7] *[http://www.combinedfleet.com/baddest.htm A comparison of seven battleship classes during WWII] *[http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/usnshtp/bb/bb67.htm Naval Historical Center: ''Montana''-class battleship photographs] *[http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/67.htm NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive] {{Montana class battleship}} {{featured article}} [[Category:Battleship classes]] [[Category:Montana class battleships| ]] [[Category:Abandoned United States military projects]] [[de:Montana-Klasse]] [[he:אוניות המערכה מסדרת מונטנה]] [[ja:モンタナ級戦艦]] [[pl:Pancerniki typu Montana]] [[ru:Линейные корабли типа «Монтана»]] [[sk:Montana (trieda lodí)]] [[fi:Montana-luokka]] [[zh:蒙大拿级战列舰]]